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Post by slxpress on May 21, 2024 0:44:15 GMT -5
Boy, in the spring I thought she was remarkably woeful on defense. Like, terrifyingly so. She hit a fantastic D ball a few times. I love her as a backrow attack option. I just don’t see it in the cards based on what I saw. To me you have to play Halter and Akana. They don’t have a third little of the caliber they had last year in Barnes or the previous year with Fleck (technically Halter was the third little). To me if Emmerick isn’t the solution they’ll go with Wenaas for 6 rotations over Rutherford. I also have no concept of what the coaches are trying to prioritize over the European trip, either. The team is deep enough the practice gym is going to be extremely competitive in the fall, so maybe Rutherford shows something for the coaches to play her more in the back row then. Well I dunno about spring play specifically, but just from what I remember her at Kentucky and watching these matches now, she can hold her own in zone 1. Obvi if Skinner is having a player of the year season, Texas won’t need a back row option from the opposite, so it will be moot. Texas surely has plenty of options come fall but I dunno if I’m on this Wenass six rotation train yet. Who is saying I’m on the Wenaas train? But if you don’t have 3 quality defensive options, someone has to be the third option. I don’t know who it would be. I just know what I saw out of Rutherford defensively was not pretty in the spring, so someone has to play those 3 rotations. Right now I’d think it would be Wenaas. But I’m completely speculating. I just think she might be the best defensive option. For all I know it ends up being someone else entirely.
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Post by nederlander on May 21, 2024 1:39:10 GMT -5
I think it’s almost certainly Wenaas at this point. If she can consistently play well across the back (and front) rotations, then I’m all for that. I’d prefer a back-row attacker on the court the majority of the time, if serve-receive and defense doesn’t suffer from it.
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Post by nederlander on May 21, 2024 1:47:10 GMT -5
Halter is every bit an All-American talent. She’s a plus in every facet of the game: serve-receive, defense, passing, serving, secondary-setting, attitude/leadership. Lexi Rodriguez has a fight on her hands for that 1st Team AA spot this season. I’m a Texas fan, but I might favor Halter, even if I wasn’t. She’s a joy to watch and root for.
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Post by Longhorn20 on May 21, 2024 8:36:23 GMT -5
I’m on the 6 rotation Wenaas train. I think she actually gets in a better rhythm playing all 6!
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Post by pointtexas on May 21, 2024 8:57:11 GMT -5
I’m on the 6 rotation Wenaas train. I think she actually gets in a better rhythm playing all 6! I think her block outweighs her limitations vs bigger lineups...she gives as good as she gets. I don't know what goes on in the practice gym, but imho, every starter returning from last year's team has earned the right to start this year.
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Post by longhorn9214 on May 21, 2024 8:59:31 GMT -5
I’m on the 6 rotation Wenaas train. I think she actually gets in a better rhythm playing all 6! I think her block outweighs her limitations vs bigger lineups...she gives as good as she gets. I don't know what goes on in the practice gym, but imho, every starter returning from last year's team has earned the right to start this year. you have a good point but also the newcomers are also sooo good and deserve to crack the line up but we technically have another top 3 pins (OHs and RS) combos in the country...once again
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Post by eyeroll2021 on May 21, 2024 9:07:51 GMT -5
I think it’s almost certainly Wenaas at this point. If she can consistently play well across the back (and front) rotations, then I’m all for that. I’d prefer a back-row attacker on the court the majority of the time, if serve-receive and defense doesn’t suffer from it. If JE decides to play a second 6ro, IMO he's going to pick the person with better skills on serve receive . .
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Post by pointtexas on May 21, 2024 9:14:27 GMT -5
I think her block outweighs her limitations vs bigger lineups...she gives as good as she gets. I don't know what goes on in the practice gym, but imho, every starter returning from last year's team has earned the right to start this year. you have a good point but also the newcomers are also sooo good and deserve to crack the line up but we technically have another top 3 pins (OHs and RS) combos in the country...once again The newcomers in any top program are gonna be good...I think JE has done a tremendous job of selling Texas as the most competitive gym in the country and making that be just as or more important than playing time would be at another program. It seems that the family atmosphere and culture being talked about is not just words, the evidence of girls choosing to stay or transfer into this program is overwhelmingly positive so far.
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Post by texex9266 on May 21, 2024 9:24:32 GMT -5
I’m on the 6 rotation Wenaas train. I think she actually gets in a better rhythm playing all 6! I think her block outweighs her limitations vs bigger lineups...she gives as good as she gets. I don't know what goes on in the practice gym, but imho, every starter returning from last year's team has earned the right to start this year. As long as she picks up where she left off last year I’m all for it. If she takes as long as she did last year to get into the swing of things, I will be shamelessly calling for any sub to come in for her by the third match lol I love Stanford-Wisconsin-Nebraska Jenna but pre/midseason Jenna? She almost killed me 😅
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Post by hopefuldawg on May 21, 2024 9:57:34 GMT -5
I think it’s almost certainly Wenaas at this point. If she can consistently play well across the back (and front) rotations, then I’m all for that. I’d prefer a back-row attacker on the court the majority of the time, if serve-receive and defense doesn’t suffer from it. 3 liberos on 1st time? 🤩
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Post by eyeroll2021 on May 21, 2024 10:11:58 GMT -5
season ticket renewal email has arrived and season tickets have been renewaled Sames. Pleasantly surprise that ticket prices stayed the same as 2023
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Post by biodogtexas on May 21, 2024 11:16:20 GMT -5
In fairness, I think she was ranked the #5 overall player? Somewhere around there, certainly. Her Dad was a big basketball star for Baylor, with no real love for the Longhorns. Texas had grabbed Eggleston and Fields in consecutive classes the previous two years. There were heavy winds blowing against her coming to Texas. If Fields hadn’t transferred first no way Skinner comes to Texas even on the rebound. I still love seeing the comments and I consider myself a big ay fan, but the comments look a lot more prescient out of context than I feel they actually were. She was anything but a sleeper. She just wasn’t being lauded the way #1 overall recruits often are. Even when she transferred I don’t think she was seen the way she is now. She’s really upped her game the last couple of years. To her credit I think she's said multiple times she never connected with Texas because of her (false) perception of the program and school. Growing up the daughter of a Baylor Player in Katy, it's not hard to imagine where that thinking may have come from.
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Post by slxpress on May 21, 2024 11:27:33 GMT -5
In fairness, I think she was ranked the #5 overall player? Somewhere around there, certainly. Her Dad was a big basketball star for Baylor, with no real love for the Longhorns. Texas had grabbed Eggleston and Fields in consecutive classes the previous two years. There were heavy winds blowing against her coming to Texas. If Fields hadn’t transferred first no way Skinner comes to Texas even on the rebound. I still love seeing the comments and I consider myself a big ay fan, but the comments look a lot more prescient out of context than I feel they actually were. She was anything but a sleeper. She just wasn’t being lauded the way #1 overall recruits often are. Even when she transferred I don’t think she was seen the way she is now. She’s really upped her game the last couple of years. To her credit I think she's said multiple times she never connected with Texas because of her (false) perception of the program and school. Growing up the daughter of a Baylor Player in Katy, it's not hard to imagine where that thinking may have come from. Well, to be fair there’s a reason we had such a flood of transfers out, too. Some of the perceptions of the Texas program were not as flattering a few years ago as they are now. Regardless, I’m glad things happened the way they did and a number of linked events occurred to bring Skinner to Texas. Her and her teammates have helped shift a multitude of perceptions around UT volleyball for the better.
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Post by hookem1 on May 21, 2024 13:59:57 GMT -5
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Post by eyeroll2021 on May 21, 2024 14:21:34 GMT -5
Right? Drama hounds, begone
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